The 15 Best Cities in America for Single Women

Listen up, single ladies. Cincinnati is the best city in the U.S. for single women to buy a home, according to data from Owners.com. The website ranked the 20 best metro areas for unmarried women to settle down based on home values, average female income, percent of single female homeowners, crime rates, walkability, and the cost of a dinner for two.

Low unemployment and rising incomes are encouraging single women across the country to make the jump from renting to owning. Unmarried women buy 17% of all homes in the U.S., according to data from the National Association of Realtors. Unmarried men bought just 7%.

“There is a noticeable shift toward more single women entering the real estate market,” Phil Karp, senior manager of brokerage services at Owners.com, said in a news release. At the same time, “housing inventory remains low and costs are high throughout the country,” he noted, which can make buying a struggle. But some cities are much more affordable than others. The top 10 markets in the Owners.com ranking were 70% more affordable than the next 10 cities.

These are the 15 best cities for single women looking to buy a home, according to Owners.com.

15. Seattle

Women make above the national average in Seattle. | welcomia/iStock/Getty Images

Average home value: $336,100

Percentage of homeowners who are single women: 14.6%

The biggest city in Washington is also one of the best places in the U.S. for single women to buy a home. The median income for women in Seattle and surrounding metro area is $48,889, well above the national average of $39,586. A dinner for two costs an average of $88. The violent crime rate is 597.6 per 100,000. Seattle is also the third-best city in the country if you’re looking to meet a “marriage material guy” — a man in his 30s with a college degree and a job — according to real estate website Trulia.

14. Portland, Oregon

Portland has a low violent crime rate. | iStock

Average home value: $281,600

Percentage of homeowners who are single women: 14.8%

Nearly 15% of homeowners in Portland, where the average house is worth $281,600, are single women. The median income for women is $41,660. The violent crime rate is 517.2 per 100,000, one of the lowest rates of any metro area in the top 15. The overall walk score for the Portland metro area is 57.5 out of 100.

13. Washington, D.C./Baltimore

Crime is higher than the national rate in this area. | SeanPavonePhoto/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Average home value: $347,700

Percentage of homeowners who are single women: 15.9%

The average home value in the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore metro area is $347,700, higher than any other city on the list. Median income for women is also highest in nation’s capital region, at $52,389. Crime is also higher than in most other cities on the list, with 1,177.9 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. The national rate is 375.7 per 100,000, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

12. Boston

Boston has a high percentage of female homeowners. | SeanPavonePhoto/iStock/Getty Images

Average home value: $333,200

Percentage of homeowners who are single women: 16.5%

Boston has a higher percentage of female homeowners than almost any other city on the Owners.com list. Home values here are also higher than they are in most other cities, as are salaries — the median income for women is just over $50,000. But dating could get expensive. The average dinner for two (including appetizers, wine, and dessert), costs $104.

11. Philadelphia

Philadelphia is a walkable city. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Average home value: $233,200

Percentage of homeowners who are single women: 16.4%

Philadelphia is a great place for single women to buy a home, according to Owners.com, with an average home value of $233,200 and a median income for women of $45,971. Crime is relatively high (1,160 per 100,000). But Philadelphia is also one of the more walkable metro areas in the top 15, with a walk score of 72.5.

10. Chicago

Chicago has some affordable homes. | Steven Kevil/Wikimedia Commons

Average home value: $218,900

Percentage of homeowners who are single women: 15.9%

Affordable homes, walkable neighborhoods, decent incomes, and a high percentage of unmarried female homeowners make Chicago a good place for single women looking to buy. But crime is more common here than some other cities; the violent crime rate for the entire Chicago metro area is 884.3 per 100,000.

9. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Raleigh is part of the Research Triangle. | iStock/Getty Images

Average home value: $204,100

Percentage of homeowners who are single women: 16%

The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill region of North Carolina is one of the best places to live in the U.S., according to U.S. News & World Report. It’s also tops for single women. The average home value in the state’s famed Research Triangle is $204,100, and the median income for women is $41,311. Crime is relatively low (423.2 per 100,000), and a dinner for two averages $86. But people who hate driving, beware: The area also has the lowest walkability score in the top 15 cities, 26.5 out of 100.

8. Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota

Minneapolis has a good social scene for singles. | RudyBalasko/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Average home value: $226,300

Percentage of homeowners who are single women: 15.1%

About 15% of homeowners in the Twin Cities region are single women. The average home is worth $226,300, and the median female income is $45,970. A typical dinner for two is $81, and the metro area has a walk score of 63. Minneapolis and Saint Paul also showed up in the No. 3 spot on NerdWallet’s list of best cities for single women, which ranked towns based on the number of unmarried men, dating affordability, and social scene.

7. Hartford, Connecticut

Women make a decent income in Hartford. | Thinkstock

Average home value: $245,900

Percentage of homeowners who are single women: 16.2%

The capital of Connecticut is the seventh-best city in the U.S. for single women. The median income for women in the Hartford metro area is $50,795, the violent crime rate is 961.2 per 100,000, and a dinner for two averages $90.

6. Milwaukee

Milwaukee has a high percentage of single female homeowners. | Rudolf Balasko/iStock

Average home value: $190,000

Percentage of homeowners who are single women: 16.9%

The biggest city in Wisconsin has cheap homes and a higher percentage of single female homeowners than all but one other city on the Owners.com list. The median income for women is $40,910, and the average dinner for two costs $73. But the Milwaukee metro area also has a relatively high violent crime rate of 1,294.5 per 100,000.

5. Atlanta

Homes are affordable in Atlanta. | Sean Pavone/iStock/Getty Images

Average home value: $181,700

Percentage of homeowners who are single women: 15%

Homes in the Atlanta metro area are affordable, making it an attractive place for single female buyers, who are 15% of homeowners in the city. Travel & Leisure has also named it one of the 20 best cities in the U.S. for singles. The median income for women is $40,472. But Atlanta has the highest crime rate of any of the 20 ranked cities (1,379 per 100,000). The region has a walk score of 46 out of 100.

4. Albany-Schenectady, New York

Violent crime is average in Albany. | lavendertime/iStock/Getty Images

Average home value: $189,100

Percentage of homeowners who are single women: 18.1%

Nearly 20% of homeowners in the Albany area (where the average house is worth $189,100) are single women. The violent crime rate is on par with the national average (380 per 100,000). The New York capital region is also more walkable than any other city on the list, with a walk score of 79 out of 100.

3. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

Dallas is a good city for single people. | Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Average home value: $169,000

Percentage of homeowners who are single women: 13.7%

Travel & Leisure magazine says Dallas is one of the best cities in the U.S. for single people, and the Owners.com ranking agrees. A dinner for two is an affordable $64, and the average home is worth $169,000. The median income for women is $40,484. The violent crime rate is 675 per 100,000.

2. Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City is affordable. | iStock.com/tomofbluesprings

Average home value: $162,000

Percentage of homeowners who are single women: 16.5%

Homes are affordable and date nights are cheap in Kansas City, where the average dinner for two costs just $61. Median female income is $40,098. Crime is on the higher side, though, at 1,086.9 per 100,000, and the metro area’s walkability score is only 31 out of 100.

1. Cincinnati

Cincinnati is the best city for single women. | AndreyKrav/iStock/Getty Images

Average home value: $158,100

Percentage of homeowners who are single women: 15.2%

Cincinnati is the best spot for single ladies, according to Owners.com. The average home is worth $158,100, making it an affordable place to for unmarried women to buy. The average dinner for two costs $62, and the metro area has a walkability score of 46.5 out of 100. The crime rate is 947.7 per 100,000.